Stay Strong, Sirius
by Nyx Nox
Summary: James thought Sirius was one of the strongest people he knew. He was able to survive years of bullying from his family, the people who were supposed to love him, and put their treatment behind him as he went through school.


Entry for Round One of The Quidditch League Fanfiction Competition

Main Characters: Sirius Black and James Potter

Other Characters: Mrs. Potter (Anna), Mr. Potter (Daniel), healers

**Disclaimer**: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author of this story. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any previously copyrighted material. No copyright infringement is intended.

* * *

The resonating sound of a bell chiming echoed three times in the small town of Godrics Hollow. James rolled over in his sleep with a groan. His parents lay fast asleep in their bed. All was well in the Potter residence. The inhabitants were snug in their beds but the peace would last only a moment longer.

_Ding dong_. A new bell chimed. The doorbell was followed by a thump at the front door that caused Mrs. Potter to sit upright in bed. It sounded as though someone flung themselves into the wood. Anna nudged her husband's side until he answered her with a groan.

"Dan." She whispered, "Get up." There was a whimper outdoors. Mrs. Potter's eyes widened at the sound. "Daniel Potter get up this instance."

"Huh- What?" Daniel gave his wife a soft glare.

"There's someone at the door." Anna rose from the bed and slipped into her bathrobe. "Come on."

"Who in the right of mind would call at such a time?" Mr. Potter stifled a yawn. He put a shirt on and grabbed his wand from the bedside table. Anna wandered downstairs once her husband was ready. She peeked through the peephole of the door and gasped at what she saw.

"Oh god Daniel." She cried and yanked the door open. There was another groan then the form of a black haired teenage boy slumped to the ground at her feet. Anna held back a shriek; a hand rapidly rose to cover her mouth, before clinging to her husband's arm for support.

"Anna, calm down." Daniel grimaced. The teen was bleeding from a wound somewhere under his shirt. A small pool of blood formed around his form. "We need to move him and sit him up." He whispered.

"Okay son," He was unsure as to whether or not he would hear him but knew from the few healer courses he took that it was best to talk people through things. "I'm going to lift you up now." Mr. Potter bent down and lifted the teen. "He's so light." He murmured, knowing that the teen weighed far less than his own son, then headed toward the living room. Anna illuminated the room with a flick of her wand. The boy's features, although dirty, were made familiar with the light. The word 'traitor' was dotted out on his chest. The wound was new. Each letter was circular, likely coming from a lit cigar.

"Sirius." She gasped. "But who would…? Daniel, he looks as though he's been attacked." Her husband didn't answer. He was too busy stripping Sirius of his tattered robes and undershirt. He glanced at his wife once Sirius was only in his boxers.

"We need to staunch the bleeding and bring him back to consciousness long enough to assess the damage." Daniel spoke rapidly. "You aren't in the right emotional state of mind to be healing him and he's in no condition for traveling. I'll floo the family healer in the morning. We need to make sure he's stable though." Sirius looked terrible. He was bruised, shivering, and covered in his own blood. There was an open gash above his chest that could only have come from a dagger. "I refuse to alert Mr. and Mrs. Black," He muttered darkly, "until Sirius gives us permission to do so."

* * *

James awoke the next morning and stretched. He assumed he was up earlier than his parents since there were no smells of breakfast in the air. However, he received a shock when he found neither of them in their bedroom.

"Mum, dad?" He called as he rushed downstairs. He stopped at the bottom step and grimaced. Something was not right. There was no one in the kitchen. All the noises that were heard came from the rarely used family room. James bit into his lip and poked his head around the doorway. He never expected to find his best friend on a stretcher with a team of healers around him. Mrs. Potter was at her son's side in seconds. She wrapped a comforting arm around his shoulder, guiding him to the kitchen, and pulled out a chair for him.

"He arrived early this morning. We didn't want to wake you or worry you." She whispered. "He was pretty banged up. Quite a shock, really, but he should recover within a few weeks."

"Why didn't you-" James' voice was loud and full of anger. His tone earned a warning glance from his mother. He took a deep breath and tried to stay calm. "Why didn't you get me?" He looked hurt by his parents' actions. "He's my best mate. I knew something was off when my owls were sent back unread." James could feel tears welling up in his eyes as he continued, "I didn't think things were bad enough for him to need medical care. I'm so stupid. How bad are the.. are the?" He trailed off, unable to finish.

"We still don't know. They aren't disclosing anything until he's well enough to sit up and give us some answers of his own."

"I don't want him to go back to that place." James crossed his arms over his chest after rubbing tears out of his eyes. "He can't. They probably did that to him."

"James honey, how about I get you a glass of water and sausages?" Mrs. Potter tried to appease her son with an offer of food to take his mind off the ordeal.

"I'm not hungry." He no longer had an appetite now that worrying was the only thing he could do. "I-" He sniffled. "I'm going to make sure he's okay." James gave his mom a tight hug and went back to the room his friend was in. He sniffled as the healers bustled around Sirius and could not look at his friend. Sirius was out cold throughout the whole procedure.

"I'm assuming it was his parents or a family member." Mr. Potter answered the head healer's question in a hushed whisper. "I cannot think of anyone else who would label the boy a traitor." He stuck his hands into the pockets of his cloak. "Could we hold off on sending anything to them until Sirius is awake? I'll contact my lawyers later."

"Three broken ribs, an infected stab wound, the removal of the marks on his skin, and a blood replenishing potion." A healer announced. "He suffered a couple cruciatus curses as well so he may be uneasy when he wakes. No apparent complications from the curse though. He's a fighter." She glanced at Mr. and Mrs. Potter. "I doubt he would have survived had you not found him. Pictures have been taken for evidence should you decide to take the incident to court."

"Thank you." The Potters breathed a sigh of relief.

"Daniel, we'll get going now. Keep him bedridden for the next two weeks. His ribs could not be healed magically. We tried but they were too damaged. Please notify me when he wakes up." The head healer spoke.

"Alright, and thank you again. Bill me later. I'll handle it next time I work." Daniel smiled. The healers disapparated after they gave Sirius one last thorough checkup. Mrs. Potter disappeared to get tea boiling in the kettle. She brought the tray back in the room and handed a cup to both her boys. The family seemed to relax now that the boy they considered brother and son was no longer in critical condition.

"What did he mean by marks on his skin?" James looked up from his tea. His eyes shone expectantly as he awaited an answer.

Daniel and Anna exchanged a glance; then his father answered, "He had cigar burns on his chest." He frowned, "They made the word traitor." The frown on James' lips matched that of his father's. He gave no answer and glanced at Sirius. His friend was strong to have gone through that. He expected answers once Sirius was ready yet expected that his friend would try to bottle things up and try to come across as unharmed. James thought Sirius was one of the strongest people he knew. He was able to survive years of bullying from his family, the people who were supposed to love him, and put their treatment behind him as he went through school. The mere fact that he was able to get from Grimmauld Place to Godrics Hollow was a miracle in itself. James would have to mention his thoughts to Sirius once he woke up. He inched closer to his friend's side then slipped his hand in his. James gently squeezed Sirius' hand and bit into his lip, silently watching as his friend's chest rose up and down in his potion induced sleep.

"Stay strong, Sirius." James whispered. He vowed to stay at Sirius' side until he woke up.


End file.
